Presently, DVCs and DVDs using magnetic tape are among media for storing multimedia information including images and sounds. It is becoming possible to connect a storage medium such as a DVC or a DVD and a computer by use of a digital interface typified by the IEEE1394. A set-top box is a device for receiving digital stream data from a broadcasting station. Data transmitted from a set-top box, a DVC and a, DVD to a computer through a digital interface is stream-format data and is a stream of continuous data. However, the continuous stream data cannot be captured in a computer and handled in a similar manner to other existing computer files as it is.
For example, for a recording medium where recording is performed with a recorder/reproducer such as a DVC, recording is performed, for example, while providing a time code representative of the recording date and time every predetermined unit of the video signal. Here, the time code is in minutes. Although the time code may be in seconds, it is generally in units of a frame/field. Moreover, a head search flag can be recorded at the point of time when a series of recording is started. In the above-described recorder/reproducer, however, only the person that recorded the data knows the contents of the recorded data, and further, it is required to label the recording medium or to put a list in a cassette case and keep it together with the recording medium. In actually reproducing the data, when the recording medium is tape, to find where the data is recorded, it is necessary to perform a search while confirming the contents in fast forward, which is inconvenient.
To solve this-problem, an object of the present invention is to provide a data processing system and a data processing method in which files that can be handled by computers can be formed and the contents of the recorded data can easily be confirmed.
Moreover, in particular, examining the use of a DVC as a computer storage medium like existing hard disks and floppy disks by connecting it to a computer, in existing digital VTRs, only video signals and sound signals of a predetermined format can be recorded. Moreover, some media have a special streamer format for recording PC file data in a recording medium like 8-mm tape and DAT tape. However, since the tape where recording is performed in the streamer mode is different in format from the existing 8-mm tape and DAT tape, when the tape where recording is performed in the streamer mode is set in an 8-mm or DAT deck, problems arise such that the tape is erroneously recognized and that noise is caused.
Moreover, for example, a function is not provided such as access to each file, which is possible in a hard disk connected to a PC, and it is difficult to easily find the contents and quickly access the position of the contents which the user intends to view.
In view of this conventional problem an object of the present invention is to provide a file managing method and a recorder/reproducer in which the existing digital VCR format is capitalized on, functions of access in units of file and recording of data files other than video signals and sound signals of the predetermined digital VCR format are enabled, and tape where a data file is recorded can be viewed with existing digital VCR decks without any problem.